Hydro4U - Nachhaltige Kleinwasserkraft in Zentralasien

Despite considerable potential to satisfy unmet electricity demand and chart a new way forward in cooperative cross-sectoral management of shared waters, small hydropower (SHP) is not extensively exploited in Central Asia (CA). Likewise, vast potential to roll out European SHP approaches in other regions, European technologies have not been widely used, mostly due to the lack of adaptation to such challenging technical, economic and ecological contexts. Successful test cases are rare, as the cost point of sustainable and durable technical solutions is typically well above of what can be covered by the revenue that can be earned in a fossil-fuel-dominated market environment. The Hydro4U project will adapt European technologies to named challenges, demonstrating viability in a forward-looking cross-border water/food/energy/climate nexus and price-competitiveness through design alterations based on a prior analysis of unexploited SHP potential in CA. Hydro4U will install and assess two demo plants: a low-head eco-friendly run-of-river plant and a medium-head plant, both with radically reduced planning and erection costs, but without compromising quality and efficiency. These solutions will be fit-for-purpose based on innovation, modularization, standardisation and radically simplified structural concepts, with longevity, ecocompatibility and socio-political acceptance. A replication model will be developed to address all SHP potential. This will demonstrate EU quality standards and create entry points in developing markets for the entire European SHP industry.